24 Hour Web Project: A Recap of Year 7

A little secret for you – 24 Hour Web Project is a bit of a misnomer. The event takes place in the fall, but we are working and preparing for it from the time we launch applications in early spring. Calculate prep time and add the number of staff we have on hand during the event and it’s more like a 650+ Hour Web Project.

A true labor of love, it tests our creativity, our efficiencies, and our energy in the wee hours. And just when we start feeling completely drained – it instantly fills us back up with teamwork, moments of laughter and that overall do-good feeling. It happens every time, and this year was no exception.

Here are the top highlights from another successful #24HWP:

1. Go big or go home! While our task at hand is typically a website, we took it a bit further this year. Our partner, Project Libertas was launching a new name, School for Community Learning, so instead of just building a new website (why stop there?), we decided to create an arsenal of collateral that they can use for a fundraising campaign. From thank you notes and letterhead, to brochures and email templates, we covered a slew of items that will be needed as they launch into a new, exciting chapter.

2. Kids are cool so we were pretty amped to work with them this year. A group of us got together with the school’s robotics team for an animation workshop using Raspberry Pis and Scratch.

3. In collaboration with teachers and students, our fundraising team brought in $500 this year. Special thanks to the kiddos who braved the cold to sell cider!

4. Speaking of fundraising, lesson learned: if you promise you’ll dye your hair any color in exchange for the highest donation – be sure to specify any ONE color. Making the German flag on the art teacher’s head was not an easy task, but kudos to him for being such a good sport!

5. The food! We always have great food at 24 Hour Web Project – but this year was extra special as our project partner was able to secure donated meals from Crossroads Café and SoBro Café. We also had plenty of snacks on hand, as demonstrated by Drew.

6. Thanks to a couple of birthdays, Elizabeth also brought in Apple Crisp and ice cream. So delicious, she proceeded to drink the bottom of her bowl.

7. We were able to witness Dawn watching a Miami Dolphins game. We knew she liked the Dolphins, but woah – “super fan” does not even begin to describe her passion and dedication. She will forever be known as Dawn Marino.

8. Encouraged by an anonymous donor, Jeb fulfilled his promised to do 10 push-ups for our fundraiser.

9. Despite the fact that he is fresh out of college, the all-nighter was a rough challenge for Colin. Things did not get better when Kasey iced him... after 24 hours of coding.

10. I’m still a little shocked by this, but we actually finished ahead of schedule – with about thirty minutes to spare! For some us, that meant sleep came sooner. For others, it was kegs and eggs at Alley Cat.

So there you have it! Be sure to check out the new website and keep your eyes on School for Community Learning as they continue to do exciting things in our community.

Megan, Patricia, Saffa, Mat & all of the team at School for Community Learning – thank you for another great year!